EffectivenessDementia. Vinpocetine is used to treat cognitive impairment due to vascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and other kinds of dementias. It might have a modest effect on cognitive impairment from various causes, but most studies have lasted 4 months or less. Also, most of the studies were published prior to 1990 and used a variety of terms and criteria for cognitive decline and dementia. It works, I have seen it clinically work but more empirical data needs to be generated over logistic logarithmic expansion.

Hemodialysis. Preliminary clinical research suggests that taking vinpocetine 15 mg daily for up to one year can eliminate calcium deposits in the soft tissue around joints (tumoral calcinosis) in renal failure patients undergoing hemodialysis

Tinnitus. Some preliminary clinical evidence suggests that giving an intravenous infusion of a specific vinpocetine product (Cavinton) 20 mg in 250 mL of saline plus oral vinpocetine (Cavinton) 10 mg twice daily along with physiotherapy might improve tinnitus in patient with chronic tinnitus. However, giving this intravenous formulation of vinpocetine (Cavinton) 10 mg twice daily appears to be less effective than nicergoline for reducing tinnitus in patients with ringing in their ears due to recent acoustic trauma.

Urinary incontinence. Preliminary clinical evidence suggests that taking vipocetine 10 mg three times daily for 2 weeks might reduce daytime and nighttime frequency of urination in people with urinary incontinence.\

Antioxidant effects: According to a review, vinpocetine protects the nervous system from reactive oxygen species (ROS). In rat brain synaptosomes, vinpocetine inhibited the ascorbate/Fe2+ stimulated consumption of oxygen and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) accumulation in a concentration-dependent manner and significantly inhibited intrasynaptosomal reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. In vitro, a relatively low concentration of vinpocetine inhibited the depolymerization of the high-molecular-weight hyaluronan caused by hydroxyl radicals. In vitro, a physiologically relevant concentration of vinpocetine exhibited significant scavenging activity, which was dose dependent.

Cerebral blood flow effects: Vinpocetine significantly enhanced cerebral blood flow, oxygen utilization, and metabolism in patients with cerebrovascular disorders, without significant alteration in parameters of systemic circulation. In chronic ischemic poststroke patients, vinpocetine infusion increased the regional cerebral blood flow, especially in the thalamus, basal ganglia, and visual cortex of the nonsymptomatic hemisphere, and decreased the flow in the symptomatic hemisphere. A different study found only that the regional cerebral blood flow of the ischemic lesion increased, while the mean cerebral blood flow did not change. In patients with cerebrovascular disorders who received 1mg/kg of vinpocetine infused intravenously over 25 minutes, the maximum increase of cerebral blood flow (25%) was measured at 32 minutes after the start of the infusion. In patients with cerebral circulatory disease, vinpocetine (5mg three times daily for two months) caused a decrease in cerebrovascular resistance. In humans, vinpocetine combined with hypotensive therapy significantly improved blood flow in cerebral vessels, as measured by an elevation of linear blood flow velocity, lowering of peripheral resistance, and increase of content of nitric oxide in blood serum.

References:

Naturalmedicines.com

Rischke, R. and Krieglstein, J. Effects of vinpocetine on local cerebral blood flow and glucose utilization seven days after forebrain ischemia in the rat. Pharmacology 1990;41(3):153-160.